Priya Kekre serves as the first-ever Director of Community Impact for The Miami Foundation. In this role, Priya leads the Foundation’s efforts to become a data-driven organization and is constructing an online community impact hub.

In the fall of 2021, we took a gamble as a family: as first-time parents of a ten-month-old, we moved to Miami from Toronto, Canada for a fresh (and warm!) start in our lives. In that first year, I was determined to discover and define “home” for our family in this new space.

With a wobbling toddler as my date, I…

• explored neighborhoods to soak up the many Miamis from Hialeah to Homestead
• navigated public transit to familiarize myself with the city’s infrastructure and connectivity
• indulged in the Miami-Dade public libraries and made some of my first friends in the city
• participated in park clean-ups in the public park next to my house

Fast forward to 2024, almost three years later: I’ve been fortunate to get to know Miami over the last year through the lens of The Miami Foundation and our many inspiring partners. In my role, I get to help others like me peel the many incredible layers of Miami by curating knowledge and sharing the stories of both inspiration and opportunity.

This election year, I have been acutely aware of my “alien” status and inability to vote. Despite all practical reasoning, it’s hard to shake off that helpless feeling of being an outsider– especially with all the election fervor around us. I wonder if this feeling resonates for the 54% of Miami-Dade residents1 who are foreign-born and for many, like me, who may not have the ability to vote?

In a city as diverse as ours, how do we enable a sense of belonging and inspire a sense of civic participation for all Miamians–both those who can vote, and those who can’t? 

As a Foundation, we set out to answer this and other important questions with the help of brilliant leaders working across our region, unpacking what civic engagement really means. This effort is part of a wider series dedicated to simplifying local issues using data and insights to inspire community action. You can dig into this report and others here.

This is what we learned about civic engagement:

Civic engagement simply begins with a deep desire to connect with and build stronger communities. It is absolutely exercising your right to vote if you are able to, but that’s not the only way to get involved.

When I look back at that first year I spent in Miami, I now see it from this new vantage point of knowledge: my explorations were in fact me partaking in Miami’s hearty civic infrastructure, consuming public services like parks and libraries! My volunteering for a park clean-up and helping a neighbor during a time of crisis also equates to civic participation. It’s been both humbling and empowering to learn about just how many ways we can support this community- I know I’m in the wonderful company of thousands of Miami-Dade residents who feel the same.

Miami is ours to shape and recent trends suggest we need to show up, as Miami trails behind its peers in having a healthy civic life(2). There is an avenue for engagement for everyone. From the spectrum of political to community participation, I urge you to find your pick:

Political Participation:

• Vote!
• Help dial up voter engagement (register and rally voters)
• Donate to political causes
• Show up for your political causes
• Stay informed and attend public meetings, budget hearings or serve on public advisory groups like CATT

Civic Participation:

• Charitable Giving: The biggest day of generosity in Miami-Dade is just around the corner! Learn more: Give Miami Day
• Join an organization! Your local PTA, faith-based group, book club–they all count!
• Volunteer! With any organization, but if you’re interested in civic engagement specifically, check out some of these stars: Engage Miami , Catalyst Miami, WeCount, PS305.
• Serve as a Community Advisor for The Miami Foundation.
• Civic Infrastructure: just soak in your city! Walk, bike, ride public transit, use public services when you can. As an active consumer, you will be an active advocate to strengthen these services for all.
• Be a good neighbor: as we believe at the Foundation, it starts with joy–the rest will come.

Two things are true: undoubtedly, your vote is your voice, AND there are SO many other ways to be heard and seen.  Let’s all get loud and get involved, Miami! How will you show up for Miami today?